Title: How to get a good Grade
Course: CPS 161: An Intro to Programming with Java - DL MM MASTER

How to get a good Grade

1. There 1000 points on all of the Java Homework (JH) assignments + Tests ... turn them in on time
2. Watch ALL of the required videos(Actively) before doing the assignments/Tests. Instead of watching the videos passively (like a TV show), engage your brain while watching the video. You can do this by taking notes. You can also do this by doing the program at the same time in Eclipse that is being created in the video.
3. Practice is essential to learning Java ... this is the purpose of the JH assignments. The concepts are unlikely to click if you don't practice the concepts covered.
4. If you are struggling with the JH assignments , you can get help: See the Blackboard section on "Getting Help" for the available options
5. Some of you have enough discipline that staying on track and will find that doing the JH assignments will be sufficient to mastering the material. If this is is you, then just do the "Assignments & Tests" listed in blackboard.
6. Previously, I have found that some students have found the JH assignments too challenging and would benefit from some additional simple practice exercises before tackling the JH assignments. So I have created some optional Practice options for you. In order to give you an incentive to doing the extra practice, I have created the "Practice_Bribe_System".

Practice_Bribe System

- Showing up to the Mixed Mode (MM) section is a good way to stay on track and get help. Note this is available to Distance Learning (DL) students who need this assistance.
- Some students find that the JH assignments are quite challenging. Sometimes these students will find that simpler practice problems prepare them to take on the JH challenges. For those students who need the simpler additional practice, we have created additional Practice assignments. The following link contains the list of all of the practice problems:
- List of additional simple proctice problems: Index Of Practice Problems. You will also find that for many of the JH assignments, you will see a link to the Practice problems you can do to prepare for the assignment that you need to do.
- The procedure for submitting your Practice problems will be announced at the beginning of the semester.
- In order to encourage you to show up to an MM section and to do the Practice Problems I plan to Bribe you according to the Practice Bribe_System.

How does this affect your Effective Grade?

Total_Practice_Points = 190

15 Week Class:

MM_Attendance_Points = 10 points/week * 14 weeks = 140 (starts on week 2)

12 Week Class:

MM_Attendance_Points = 12 points/week * 11 weeks = 132 (starts on week 2)

The remaining calculations are based on a 15 week class ( 12 week class would be similar but there are slightly less MM Attendance Points)

Max_Practice_Bribe = Total_Practice_Points + MM_Attendance_Points = 190 + 140 = 330

Let Earned_Bribe be the number of points you earned above out Max_Practice_Bribe.

There are 1000 points on all of the JH assignments + Tests.

Let G = your score on JH assignments + Tests

Your Effective Grade for the class (EG) will be:

EG = Earned_Bribe + G * (1 - 0.31 * Earned_Bribe/Max_Practice_Bribe)

The best way to explain this is to describe 3 scenarios:

1. If you never show up to an MM section and you never do any practice problems and achieve a grade of G, then your effective grade will be G.
2. If you show up to every MM section and do all of the practice problems, it should improve your performance. Additionally, your Effective Grade will be a little better than 100% on 30% of your grade. The remaining 70% of your grade will be a little better than the percentage that you achieved (G) in JH assignments and tests.
3. If you show up some of the time to MM sections and do some of the practice problems then your Effective grade wil be prorated based on how much you actually participated in the MM_Bribe_System.

Table that shows the result of the above formula:

Last Modified: August 22, 2015 12:03 PM